


Close

by darkestxskies



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Animal Traits, Animalistic, Blood and Injury, Caretaking, Confusion, Discipline, F/F, Fluff, Minor Violence, Mommy Issues, Mother Complex, Non-Sexual Age Play, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Protectiveness, Size Difference
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-01-04 20:15:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21203435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkestxskies/pseuds/darkestxskies
Summary: Anna dreamed of a child. She longed for someone to care for and protect. Despite being trapped in the hellish world of The Entity, forced to kill for its pleasure instead of her own survival, The Huntress had not yet abandoned her dreams. When one small redhead wanders too far into the Red Forest, perhaps Anna will finally see all that she's wished for become reality.





	1. Found

Humming.

Meg dared to utter a shaky breath before peeking around the tree she was currently pressed against to get a better view of the forest.

_Close._

She quickly drew back behind the tree as the realization hit her.

Despite every moment in The Entity’s realm being designed to cause suffering and break the spirit of survivors like herself, Meg still held on to the slightest shred of hope that she would one day be able to escape. This hope is what led her to venture far from the campfire in search of anything that may give way to a means of leaving the nightmare behind. Despite the others voicing their concerns for her, she knew that if all else failed, she could run.

Now here she was, cowering behind a tree, too afraid to run.

The humming was just loud enough to indicate that she may be within sight range of the killer that she and the others had dubbed The Huntress. Her intention was never to come to this forest, but at the same time, as she wandered through what seemed to be an endless fog, she realized that she had never formulated a true plan.

_Think, Meg. You can’t just wait this out forever. She’ll find you eventually._ _Stop being so afraid._

Meg wanted to groan externally for getting herself in her current predicament, but quickly held back as she noticed that the humming seemed to be coming closer.

_Shit. Just..._

The thought was cut short as she made the split-second decision of bolting out from behind the tree and heading in a random direction. She ran blindly and as fast as she could in what she hoped was a safe distance from The Huntress. Unfortunately, after only a few seconds of running, she was abruptly stopped by ramming straight into something that caused her to practically fold in half from the force of that something hitting her abdomen. She hit the ground with a thud before letting out a small groan from the force of the impact, the pain in her stomach, and now her unceremonious drop to the forest floor.

After lying still briefly, Meg opened her eyes to see a pair of expressionless ones staring back at her as The Huntress slowly stood and brought her arm back to her side.

For a moment, neither woman moved.

_What the fuck is wrong with me?! Get up!_

Meg was disoriented but knew she needed to try and make another quick escape.

The Huntress must have sensed that she was about to try and run again, because she then replaced her humming with a low growl; causing Meg to freeze.

The noise was unlike anything Meg had ever heard before. Animalistic in nature, and a stark contrast to the earlier, and more familiar, distinctly human humming The Huntress seemed to be so fond of.

As the growl commenced, only silence filled the air. Meg was unsure as to what she should, or even could, do at this point. She could make another escape attempt and risk angering the massive woman again, or she could stay put and still potentially risk angering the killer. Either way, it seemed she was at a loss.

Meg was broken out of her thoughts by having the decision seemingly made for her as The Huntress slowly approached before reaching down, and in one motion, lifting and tossing Meg over her shoulder.

"Wait! Hey! What are you...Put me down!"

Meg yelled the words as she began to thrash around trying to escape the woman’s grasp. She had totally forgotten her earlier thoughts concerning potentially angering the killer and replaced these thoughts with her original escape plan.

The Huntress, to her credit, began to walk as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

"Where are you taking me? Hello!?"

Meg had calmed some of her thrashing but was still squirming enough to be a bit of an annoyance.

After another several moments of silence, she decided to refrain from any more movements or questions.

_She has to stop somewhere eventually…_

\--

A short, yet still undetermined, amount of time later, Meg thought she began to see light. Only a tiny fraction, but enough to make a difference in the otherwise dark forest. While her first instinct was to repeat some of her earlier questions, she made the decision to remain quiet for the time being. In favor of speaking, she decided to lift her head up and take better note of her surroundings.

She could see a small building a short distance away; one she recognized immediately from her time spent hiding there during trials. The stench of the dead cows hanging from the ceiling and pigs in the fire pit was unbearable, but the cabin was too good a hiding spot to totally keep her away.

There were piles of chopped wood littered about, and the rain seemed to come in a never-ending drizzle with a fog that hung amongst the trees. She hated this place. Most of all, she hated how afraid the forest made her. The trees seemed to loom over her, and the crude structures only served to further her sense of uneasiness.

_That house…that’s where she’s taking me. Duh, Meg. _

With a sigh, she dropped her head and waited for the inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing for this site (or any other site for that matter)! In all honesty, I'm not entirely sure where exactly this story is going to go. I have general ideas of what I'd like to see materialized, but for the time being, I'm just trying to enjoy the ride.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	2. Stay

The light dimmed briefly before returning even brighter than before. Meg could see the wooden floor come into view and turned her head to see a table and two chairs placed near a burning fireplace. She noted the absence of the lockers that were usually present in the makeshift living room; but chalked this up to being another of The Entity’s many worldly manipulations.

Before Meg could make any more observations, however, she felt The Huntress stop. There was a brief pause and Meg worried that the killer was able to feel how violently her heart was pounding in her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut before feeling The Huntress gently place her on the ground. 

After several more seconds of silence, she opened her eyes to see The Huntress staring down at her. The rabbit mask she wore hid any chances that Meg may have of garnering even the smallest hint of emotion. 

"Why am I here?" Meg asked while trying to suppress her anxieties.

Her voice seemed to overtake the virtual silence of the cabin despite being no more than a whisper.

The Huntress gave no indication that she heard the girl before her speak.

Meg huffed and crossed her arms. If her captor wanted to play stubborn, then so would she.

"Hello? What are you doing? What is this?" Meg stated while gesturing to The Huntress and around the cabin.

She could feel a bit of her spark coming back; fueled by her newfound annoyance of the situation.

"Okay. I’m not…" was all she able to get out while making a move to stand before she felt a strong hand on her shoulder.

"No."

Meg was stunned. She had never actually heard any of the killers speak; let alone this seemingly animal-like giant. In her surprise, she let The Huntress push her back down to her prior seated position.

The woman then took a step back before crouching in front of Meg. The redhead felt some of her earlier anxiety return as, despite her crouched position, the killer still seemed to tower over her.

Meg watched with uneasy eyes as her captor brought a hand up to point at her before very explicitly pointing down at the floor. 

_I guess she wants me to stay. Great._

The Huntress then stood before turning to walk into an adjacent room and beginning to hum her song again. Meg, for her part, immediately began to weigh her options. If she ran, she would either be caught or end up in another dangerous, possibly worse, part of this twisted world. She wanted to kick herself for making the decision to come out here in the first place. Though The Huntress seemed fairly subdued thus far, she was still a killer, and Meg feared she would snap with one wrong move.

Listening to the woman and staying put may yield her a longer life, but history shows that death only comes with rebirth in The Entity’s world. Despite this, Meg, nor any of the other survivors, had ever been killed outside of a trial. She wondered if this would result in a different outcome; though she really didn’t want to consider any other awful possibilities outside of her current predicament.

After what felt like a lifetime of deliberation, Meg decided to stay put. She pushed herself up against the wooden wall of the cabin and waited for her "host" to return.

\--

After several more moments filled with only the quiet sounds of shuffling and humming from an unseen area of the house, The Huntress returned carrying a plate. Meg eyed the dish warily, afraid of what she might see was being served. Her captor came to sit in front of her, and it was there that Meg was relieved to see what appeared to be cooked meat. She made no move to take the plate; though she assumed it was for her.

Unless of course, The Huntress planned to eat right in front of her.

_That would be really evil…_

The woman lifted a piece of meat from the plate and started to move it toward Meg’s face.

"Uh, thank you but I can do that myself."

She lifted her hand up to take the piece of meat the woman was currently pressing against her mouth, but then quickly dropped it when The Huntress growled again.

Meg considered that this growling was how The Huntress primarily communicated, but then reasoned that there was likely no one with whom to communicate with period. Her original theory was totally scrapped when once again her captor spoke.

"Anna feed."

Anna.

_So, she has a name._

"Meg."

The redhead placed a hand on her chest as she spoke. Though the rabbit mask still ensured that Meg was unable to read The Huntress’ expression, the sudden tilt upward of her head made the girl believe that she was more so talking out loud; rather than specifically to her.

The Huntress grunted and then began to push the meat toward Meg again. This time, the girl slowly opened her mouth to accept the food. She chewed thoughtfully, incredibly thankful that the meat tasted good at least.

This continued on for several more minutes with Meg being hand-fed by the giant. Were she still not a bit on edge, Meg would have laughed at the absurdity of the whole situation.

With the last bit of food eaten, The Huntress moved to place the plate on her lap.

"Anna. Thank you."

Meg still did not feel totally comfortable, but the feeling of immediate danger had passed. She figured the least she could do was thank the woman for not torturing her; and feeding her, especially.

The Huntress shook her head before pointing to Meg.

"Little one. Meg."

She then placed her hand on her chest in the same fashion Meg had earlier.

"Mama."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't promise quick updates like this always, but I'll try not to leave things hanging for too long.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Home

For what felt like the millionth time that night, Meg was at a total loss.

_Mama?!_

The woman had said the word so casually. As if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She hadn’t waited for a reply; simply made the declaration, then returned to the other room with the plate.

Meg dropped her head into her hands a let out a sigh. She wanted to get off the floor and sit at the table but didn’t want to move after the explicit instruction to stay put.

_Who cares what she wants?!_

The redhead found her own compliance with the woman’s orders to be both frustrating and confusing. Even though Anna had treated her kindly so far, Meg couldn’t forget who she really was. After all, didn’t she technically kidnap her?

_Ugh. I think I’m getting a headache._

Suddenly, the girl was ripped from her thoughts as she felt a pressure on her head. The surprise from the feeling caused her to throw her head back; promptly smacking it on the wall behind her.

"Ow…"

Meg reached a hand behind her head to rub at where her skull had just met the wooden wall of the cabin.

_If I wasn’t getting a headache before I sure as shit am now._

She felt the same pressure on her head again, but this time was still. Meg slowly looked up to see Anna looking down at her with her hand rested lightly on her head. 

"Little one. Hurt?"

Meg didn’t respond and instead continued to lightly rub the back of her head. She felt the hand move downwards and lightly push away her own. The Huntress’ hand then assumed the motion she herself was performing seconds prior.

For several moments, Meg allowed this interaction to go on before speaking.

"I want to lay down. Sleep. Please?"

The Huntress slowly removed her hand from the back of the girl’s head. She stood and promptly headed up the stairs before disappearing into a room. 

Meg hesitantly decided that she would take this opportunity to stand and make her way towards the fireplace. She toyed with the idea of taking a seat at the table, but instead decided to stand in front of the fire; albeit, a bit awkwardly. She figured asking to leave was useless, though perhaps asking to sleep in an unfamiliar home with a killer she barely knew wasn’t the smartest idea either. 

The sound of footsteps on the staircase alerted Meg to the return of the other occupant in the cabin. She turned to see The Huntress with a large, tattered blanket in her arms. The woman began to spread the blanket out on the floor in front of the fireplace as Meg stepped to the side. She watched with interest as the large woman took care to smooth out any wrinkles in the fabric and wipe off any pieces of debris.

After she was satisfied with the state of the blanket, The Huntress stood back to admire her work. Meg felt herself shiver a bit as she watched the woman rise to her full height. She was never particularly big, always thin from running and fairly short, but this woman seemed to dwarf her totally. If she was lucky, the top of her head might reach the woman’s breasts.

"Bed," The Huntress said simply.

Meg took this as her que to lie down. She felt a bit uncomfortable lying on top of the blanket in front of the fire but figured she should be grateful even so. The Huntress had moved to sit in the chair closest to her and the fireplace and was silently watching as Meg adjusted herself on top of the blanket. The girl had shimmied to the center and flung the excess cloth over herself before finally lying still.

The redhead tried not to think about the woman who was silently staring at her as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

\--

Meg jolted awake from the nightmare she was having only to be further alarmed by her unfamiliar surroundings. She felt constricted by something and began to thrash in an attempt to free herself. Her heart felt as though it would beat out of her chest at any moment, and she was beginning to panic more with the feeling of an anxiety attack looming.

Just as she was about to begin her next bout of thrashing, she heard humming coming from somewhere behind her. Despite being caught somewhere between awake and asleep, Meg knew the humming brought pain, and she whimpered at the sound. The humming only seemed to move closer until she felt a hand gently smoothing her hair.

Despite the calming touch, Meg herself did not calm and continued her movements. She cried out as she felt herself being suddenly lifted, though the constricting feeling was now gone. The once too tight feeling was now replaced with strong arms around her, holding her to a warm body. Meg could hear a heartbeat now along with the humming, and slowly began to calm herself. The humming was still a bit unnerving, but the protective hold and rhythm of the heartbeat next to her ear helped to offset this.

Meg finally opened her eyes slightly and looked up to see someone with choppy brown hair and dark brown eyes looking back at her.

"Shhhh little one. Mama here. Keep safe."

Though she wasn’t totally awake yet, Meg recognized the voice of The Huntress. Instead of screaming or running like Meg’s logical, awake brain would suggest, the girl simply stared up sleepily at the woman.

"Sleep. Little cub very tired."

The Huntress held the small girl in one arm while the other one gently petted her hair. She continued to hum as Meg slowly closed her eyes despite trying to fight sleep.

As she was finally drifting off, Meg could feel The Huntress pull the blanket tighter around her. This time, however, she didn’t feel constricted. Instead, she felt safer than she had in a very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this story is interesting in that, outside of the backstories and any information given out by the creators, we don't have much surrounding the personality's of the characters. In a way, this has made things a little harder in that I find myself trying to justify the characters' actions but really not having anything to allow me to do so. In other ways, this has made writing things easier. 
> 
> I'm rambling now but I have really enjoyed writing this story!


	4. Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your kind words about this story!

The mask returned the next day.

Admittedly, Meg was a little disappointed as she wanted a chance to look more closely at the woman’s features without being in a sleep-induced haze. Of all the things that had happened the night before, Meg was most fixated on seeing the woman’s face. She had seen all of the other killers of course, but what fascinated her was how Anna appeared so…human.

_She is a human, right? I mean…most of them are. I think._

"Why do you wear that?" Meg decided to be bold; but not so bold as to ask what she really wanted just yet.

The Huntress partially lifted her head as if to acknowledge the girl’s words but didn’t speak. She slowly looked back down at the small piece of wood she had been whittling and started her carving motions back up.

The redhead frowned at being ignored. She had been sitting on the blanket she had slept on the night before watching Anna carve shapes into pieces of wood for hours. While Meg was wary to say she was bored in a world filled with danger at every turn; she wasn’t exactly entertained.

"The mask. Do you like wearing it?"

This time Anna kept her head down and continued her work but dignified Meg with a response.

"Rabbit small. Harmless. Make little one feel safe."

"But you already had it? What does that have to do with being here?" Meg asked the question with genuine curiosity as she gestured to the world around them.

The Huntress began to carve with noticeably more force.

"Mother make."

The girl could see the woman slightly clench her jaw before continuing.

"Me big. Scare little one. Want keep. Stay."

Meg sat quietly after the confession as the giant woman continued her assault on the piece of wood.

"Oh…" she finally replied lamely.

_Her mother? She has to be human then._

Meg wanted to feel better after the potential revelation that the woman was indeed another human, but instead she felt sad. She had never considered that maybe the killers were trapped like her and the others; or that they may have had lives, been real people, before ending up in The Entity’s realm.

"You hunt us. The Entity. It makes you, doesn’t it?"

Meg hated how desperate she sounded but she needed to know. Maybe Anna was a victim too. Just like her. Maybe this fabricated hell was a prison for everyone.

Anna tossed her knife and half-finished project to the cabin floor.

"Before. Only kill for protect home. Keep human away. Want live? Eat? Hunt."

Meg moved closer as the woman spoke. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Even without her mastery of English, the narrative that The Huntress was conveying was clear.

_She really did have a life before! Like all of us!_

"Now. Must hunt always. _D’yavol _command. Me not accept this. Want left alone. With little one."

By now the girl had moved to be kneeling right in front of the seated woman and was totally captivated by the exchange she thought would never be possible. Meg did not understand the unfamiliar word the woman had used but she assumed that The Entity was who, or what, she was referring to. She wanted to cry at the revelation. She had left the campfire in search of a way out of The Entity’s world, and while she may not have accomplished that, she had discovered a critical piece of information.

Slowly, Meg reached out and placed her hand on one of The Huntress’ much larger ones. The woman flexed her fingers almost anxiously at the contact and Meg seated herself on the floor. She moved to grasp a single finger and marveled at how small her hand looked in comparison to the other woman’s. Even more distinct than their difference in size though was their humanity; and Meg squeezed the finger slightly as she thought how right things felt.

"You…were scary."

The Huntress flinched so slightly Meg might have missed it were it not for their close proximity and shared touch.

"But you have to be. We’re both stuck here and forced to play these roles. I want to leave this place so bad. But I don’t even know if that’s possible."

Meg felt herself starting to tear up, but as she went to wipe her eyes on her shoulder, The Huntress used her free hand to lightly wipe the tears away. She was grateful for the kind gesture but couldn’t help but be amazed by the ability of someone so big to be so gentle.

"Stuck here. Bad. But if not alone? Good."

The Huntress tapped her lips with her free hand as if trying to work through what she wanted to say. Meg waited patiently for the woman to continue and offered a small smile.

"You…stay? Me…be good. Take care. Give home. Be good mother. Little one play. Not be afraid."

Meg mulled over everything the woman had said to her since they “met” the day before. Her mother was obviously gone if she was alone in the forest, but she had crafted the mask Anna wore to keep from scaring “little ones” away. Now it seemed Anna longed to be a mother as well and the insistence that she was referred to as "mama" made sense.

_Someone wants to take care of me for a change…_

Meg winced at her own internal words. She loved her mother very much and had no regrets about her decision to take care of her. However, the redhead did often wonder, even before entering The Entity’s realm, how her life may have been different if she would have been able to pursue her college career.

For a moment, the girl wanted to feel guilty for even entertaining what The Huntress was proposing. She thought it unfair to her own mother, the one she had left behind; despite it being no fault of her own. But the woman in front of her seemed so sincere in her desire and had been so open with her.

The redhead took a deep breath. She knew how she was feeling and what she felt in her heart she wanted to do.

Slowly, Meg unwrapped her hand from around the woman’s finger. She then placed both of her hands in her lap as she spoke carefully to the woman before her.

"I know the mask must be important to you. But you don’t have to hide from me. With or without it on. Ever."

Meg bit her lip before continuing.

"I…will stay. With you, Mama."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it proper to have Meg and Anna reach some sort of understanding before moving on to the less heavy ideas I have for them. Now that there is an actual agreement and general expectation surrounding their relationship we can move on to involving some of the more specific tags of this story.
> 
> Thank you all for reading!
> 
> Side note; I love these two so much and I just want them to be happy.


	5. Catch

Meg carefully made her way up the stairs and toward the single room that occupied the upper portion of the cabin.

She had just finished her exploration of the ground floor and was amazed to see how different everything looked outside of a trial. The living room she had spent all of her time in up until a few minutes prior was just the start of the vast difference in décor and cleanliness. The room that The Huntress had brought her food from the first night appeared to be a small dining room with some mismatched cutlery, plates, and a tiny space for meal preparation. A long hallway ran along the back portion of this room and the living room and contained a wardrobe and wallpaper with an interesting pattern.

As the girl reached the top of the stairs, due to there being no railing, she was easily able to see The Huntress adding wood to the fire below. Meg hoped she wouldn’t forget this lack of railing should she ever be upstairs in the pitch black and decide to walk too far out.

Her mental note to be careful was quickly overshadowed by her interest in seeing that the room with no exterior wall that appeared during trials was gone. Instead, the space was totally enclosed at the end of makeshift hallway.

_I wonder if she thinks it’s annoying to have her house be manipulated by The Entity all the time._

As she approached the door to the sole upstairs room, the redhead glanced behind her briefly to see that The Huntress was watching her. The girl smiled slightly, though she was unsure if the woman could see it, and made her way into the room.

_Bedroom. Pretty nice._

The same wallpaper from the downstairs hallway was present in that room as well and Meg noted that the three features of the room were the cot, rocking chair, and chest. Both the cot and chair looked to be handmade along with the rest of the furniture in the house, but the chest looked out of place.

Meg ran her hand across the cool metal edges and lock. Part of her wanted to be daring and see if she could open the thing and find out what was held inside; the other part of her did not want to overstep a boundary. She weighed her options before finally deciding to go back downstairs.

As she stood and made to turn and head for the stairs, she was visibly startled by the figure that was already occupying the doorway out.

_How is she so quiet?!_

Anna gave a low laugh; a noise that Meg had yet to hear but quickly decided she liked. The large woman then moved towards the girl before bending down to open the chest Meg was previously inspecting. The redhead watched curiously as the lid was lifted and the interior of the chest and its contents revealed.

There was an amalgam of objects including torn pieces of patterned fabric, tools, storybooks, and toys. Meg took a particular interest in the toys and noted that there were several mismatched Matryoshka dolls, wooden blocks, what looked to be a slightly misshapen ball, and animal figurines.

_I wonder where she got this stuff. I guess she must have already had it._

She smiled to herself as she had an idea. She picked up the ball from the chest and turned around to throw it at the woman who was now standing several steps away.

"Catch!"

She was hoping to catch the woman off guard like she had done to her earlier, but The Huntress had good instincts and easily caught the projectile.

The large woman looked over the ball in her hands before muttering the word Meg had used before throwing it to her. She then tossed the ball back at Meg before stating the word louder; but with the same level of uncertainty.

Meg smiled widely before running to the other side of the room. She then tossed the ball back to Anna again, and this time the larger woman was quicker to return the throw.

"Play?" The Huntress said with still a bit of apprehension in her voice.

Meg nodded her head quickly.

"Play."

\--

Their game continued on for a good length of time before Meg and The Huntress mutually decided to make their way back downstairs. The redhead decided to bring down one of the books from the trunk and was currently flipping through it as she sat on her blanket in front of the fireplace.

"Mama?"

The Huntress’ head snapped up quicker than Meg had ever seen before and she considered that the name was likely still as new for the older woman as it was to her.

"Read?"

She held the book up slightly and waited to see if the woman would come sit by her. The Huntress looked stiff momentarily before deciding to take a seat next to the girl on the blanket. As Meg handed her the book, she only stared downwards.

"I can’t read it. What is it? Russian? That’s what you sound like."

The masked woman only nodded slightly before whispering.

"Mama…sorry."

This puzzled Meg greatly. The demeanor shift and the apology were unexpected and slightly concerning.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a quizzical look at her larger counterpart.

"Can’t read."

_Yikes._

Meg lowered her head sheepishly. She didn’t mean to put the woman on the spot or make her feel uncomfortable.

The girl attempted to recover quickly to eliminate any further awkwardness.

"Well I can’t read this either so we can just look at the pictures."

Meg scanned the pages and pointed to particular illustrations she liked and made up scenarios and dialogue to fit with what was being portrayed in the art. This seemed to ease any tension as The Huntress quickly relaxed and listened to Meg create her own stories out of the images.

When she reached the end, Meg closed the book and let out a large yawn.

"Sleep time." The Huntress stated simply before standing.

She took the book and placed it on the nearby table before covering Meg with the blanket. The woman then slowly reached down to pick up the bundled girl; much to Meg’s surprise. She had slept downstairs by the fireplace thus far but was now being carried upstairs.

The hold did not feel unsafe despite Meg doing none of the holding and all of the carrying. The Huntress had effectively wrapped her so that her limbs were all enclosed in the blanket. She could feel one of the arms propping her up by resting just below her butt while the other arm held her to the woman’s chest. The girl decided to just rest her head on the older woman’s shoulder and wait to be carried into the bedroom.

Instead of being placed on the bed, or even the floor, like she anticipated, The Huntress lowered herself into the rocking chair while continuing to hold Meg. The girl never raised her head but did begin to squirm a bit in order to make herself most comfortable. Anna started to rock them back and forth as she patted the girl’s back and began to hum.

Meg considered fighting sleep but knew that it was a fight she could not win. She slowly let her eyes close as she listened to the hum and heartbeat that filled her ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Trust

Meg giggled softly as she watched a small toad hop across the leaves in front of her feet. She reached out to lightly touch the animal's back and was met with a small squeak followed by a quick escape from her prodding hand. 

Moments such as this caused her to forget that the world she currently occupied was nothing more than a twisted fabrication of reality. Seeing the toad jump across the forest floor, hearing a breeze blow through the trees, and feeling the misty rain touch her skin all seemed so organic. The girl briefly wondered if animals like the toad had somehow been caught by The Entity and brought to its world unintentionally; or if they too were only a copy of the real thing.

An especially loud cracking sound brought the redhead out of her thoughts; and she turned her attention to the source of the noise.

Several yards away, The Huntress lowered her axe to her side and moved to place another piece of wood on top of the stump she was using as a chopping block. The woman had positioned herself so that Meg would be directly in her line of sight. She motioned the girl over to her once she saw that she was already looking her way.

Meg hesitantly rose to her feet as her caretaker gestured to her.

_Please don't tell me we have to go inside already..._

Being allowed out of the cabin was a nice change of pace, and the girl wanted more time outside to explore. At first, Meg thought not being allowed out of the house was a punishment of sorts. However, she realized over the several weeks that she had been with Anna that the woman was simply overprotective. In some ways she reminded the redhead of a nervous, new mother.

_I guess she kind of is._

Approaching the tall woman, she was met with a large pile of newly chopped firewood.

"Take wood to house, please?" The Huntress asked while pointing down to the split logs.

Nodding her compliance, the girl moved to begin picking up several pieces to take inside.

"Helpful little girl."

Though she was unable to see the woman behind her, Meg knew the words were said with a smile. She was glad to be given even simple tasks and enjoyed the feeling of being useful and involved in the little life they had together.

She carried the firewood inside and tried to uniformly stack the pieces next to the fireplace. The cabin always seemed to be neat despite the circumstances surrounding its location, and general existence, and the girl tried her best to ensure things remained well kept.

Once she was content with her placement, the redhead made her way back outside to collect the remainder of the wood. However, as she stepped outside and began walking back over to the chopping block, Anna was noticeably missing.

Meg paused momentarily as she scanned the immediate area for any signs of her caregiver. Seeing none, she moved to stand right in front of where the woman had been only a few moments ago.

"Mama?"

The word was spoken a bit warily as the small girl continued to check her surroundings. She quickly walked back to the house to see if she had missed the woman entering while she was preoccupied stacking wood.

"Mama? Are you in here?"

_Nothing._

At this point, Meg was noticeably quite nervous. There was no way her Mama would dream of leaving her alone when she was barely allowed out of her sight.

The smokehouse was the last place she might possibly be, and as much as the girl hated going in there, she wanted to find her caregiver more.

She covered her nose as she poked her head in the building and glanced around. The redhead quickly concluded that Anna was still nowhere to be found.

"Mama?"

This time, Meg spoke more so to herself; and the tremble in her voice was distinct. If she was truly alone, that was indicative of only one thing.

_A trial._

With this realization, she slowly made her way back towards the house to collect and put away the remainder of the firewood.

\--

Though she knew one of them being sent to a trial was inevitable, Meg still felt a barrage of emotions. She was nervous to be by herself, worried for what her Mama might be doing or going through, and scared that they may be separated for a long period of time.

She pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders and glanced over at the fire that was still, thankfully, burning bright. Her thoughts then began to wander to the other survivors and how they might feel if they knew where she had been; and who she had been with.

_Traitor._

She cringed at the word and a million questions swarmed through her mind.

Was she wrong to stay? Would the others be angry if she went back and told them what she had been doing? Did they even think about the fact that she was gone?

Despite trying to keep out her intrusive thoughts, the girl was failing miserably. She felt guilty for leaving the others behind but had no idea if Anna would allow her to return to them; even temporarily.

_Unless I get sent to a trial and then wind up at the campfire, I may never go back._

This thought brought a new wave of considerations. The question was not truly if, but when, she would be sent to a trial. How would she get back to her Mama? Should she really tell the others the truth? They would ask where she was, of course.

Suddenly, a new, but fairly obvious, thought came to her mind.

_I could leave now while she's gone._

Another wave of guilt seemed to overwhelm the redhead. Anna had been so gentle with her and gifted her with the knowledge that The Entity's realm had trapped more than just herself and the other survivors. By having the giantess on her side, she may be able to explore the world more safely; and possibly even converse with the other killers.

"Ugh," she groaned; rubbing her temples before tossing herself backwards.

A headache seemed inevitable from her overthinking, and Meg decided to try and close her eyes for the time being. She decided to stay put for the time being and filed away the notion of exploring with Anna. She tried to convince herself that the prospect of conversing with the other killers, and unlocking more of The Entity's secrets, were the driving force of her decision to say.

Despite this, she could not help but think that, though her blanket gave her comfort, she wished that Anna was there to hold her.

\--

Waking up still alone caused a bit of disappointment to wash over the redhead. She had hoped that her caregiver would have returned sometime while she napped.

Sighing, she unraveled herself from her blanket before putting it under her arm and walking upstairs to the bedroom. Opening the chest, she briefly scanned the contents before deciding to take out the blocks and several Matryoshka dolls.

The blanket was tossed on the ground where Meg promptly took a seat on top and began to stack the blocks. She took time trying to arrange the blocks in different ways before moving on to attempting to balance the dolls on certain sections.

Her game went on for a short period of time before she heard the distinctive sound of the cabin door being flung open. In her excitement at the prospect of seeing Anna again, Meg jumped up and closed the distance between her play area and the bedroom door in record time.

However, she stopped abruptly upon exiting the room as, down below in the living room, The Huntress stood covered in blood. Her axe was held firmly in her right hand with her signature hatchet hanging from her belt. Though she wore her mask, thus obscuring her face, her body language indicated to Meg that the woman was agitated. Her shoulders rose and fell dramatically from her heavy breathing and her stance was nothing if not aggressive.

The giantess slowly looked over the living room before letting out a low growl and locking eyes with Meg on the second floor.

Without another thought, the girl rushed back into the bedroom and grabbed her blanket; spilling the blocks and dolls all over the floor. For a moment she considered jumping out the window, but the footsteps on the stairs told her that Anna was almost there. She quickly threw the blanket over her head and then pushed herself as far as she could go into the corner.

Meg was terrified and confused. She thought that the woman would be happy to see her. Instead, she seemed enraged. Squeezing her eyes shut as tight as she could, the girl felt several tears begin to fall. She tried to be still and keep herself from shaking, but she was so upset she felt like she would be sick.

Unconsciously, she slid her first and middle fingers into her mouth and began to suck. Though she had tried to break herself of the habit, when she found herself feeling especially stressed and anxious, the action seemed to be calming.

Not a moment later, The Huntress entered the room. Her steps into the bedroom were methodical instead of random; as if she were trying to be as quiet as possible. Despite her ability to keep her footsteps soft, her breathing remained ragged.

"Meg."

The word caused the hidden girl to choke out a sob from around her fingers. Anna sounded calm despite her breathing and seemingly aggressive behavior. Even so, Meg was afraid to peek out or speak.

A thud sounded near the door and the girl assumed The Huntress had dropped her axe.

"Little one. Not be scared. Please."

_She sounds desperate._

A bit of shuffling came as Anna moved closer.

"Mama not hurt you."

The redhead continued to cry quietly. She so badly wanted to go to Anna for comfort but was feeling reasonably torn. The person who had previously made her feel the safest in The Entity's realm was now scaring her.

She weighed her options before finally making a decision.

Meg took a deep breath, took her fingers from her mouth, and pulled her blanket down to peek out at the woman who was crouched several feet away. The axe was laying near the door and, in stark contrast to only a few moments prior, Anna now appeared to be making herself look as non-threatening as possible.

Seeing her little one finally looking at her, the large woman reached up and removed her mask. She lightly tossed the object over towards the wall without taking her eyes off the small girl fearfully scanning her up and down.

"Mama's little cub," she stated quietly. "Me...bad."

She gestured to herself before grunting and pawing at her face. The struggle of trying to form the words she wanted to say was making the woman frustrated.

"Scare. Mask...not work. Me still...me. Meg say me not hide. But then hide from Mama." 

The last bit was said as an overwhelming look of sadness came over The Huntress.

Despite her trepidation, Meg still listened intently as the woman spoke. This person who had shown her a great deal of kindness and gentleness was also someone who was deeply damaged and likely struggling with her own nature. Though they spoke often throughout the weeks that they had been together, the two had not breached the subject of Anna's more animalistic qualities. If the redhead had to guess, the larger woman's aggression and somewhat bestial nature likely were linked together and to her life alone in the forest.

The girl decided to pack this understanding away for a later discussion. Right now, she wanted to see if the woman before her was indeed misunderstood and had no intention of harming her.

She slowly dropped her blanket down and stared at her lap for a moment before lifting her head and finally making eye contact.

The Huntress carefully moved from her crouched position so that she was seated on the bedroom floor. She opened her arms up signaling she wanted Meg to come to her.

The girl was slightly hesitant but crawled over, blanket dragging behind her, after only a moment of deliberation. She wanted to be held but was also a bit apprehensive due to the blood covering her caretaker. She looked critically at the stains as she moved closer; and the large woman took notice.

Anna wiped at the blood on her top with her loose floral fabric and then tried to clean her hands off on her pants.

Were she still not a bit nervous, Meg would have laughed at the woman's counterproductive attempts to clean her clothes and hands. She was about to just crawl right in the woman's lap, but decided to be clear in what she wanted.

"Will you hold me? Please, Mama?"

Without a word, Anna reached forward and gently lifted Meg so that she was cradled in her arms while resting in her lap. The giantess then reached for the coveted blanket and draped it over the girl in her arms. Once she was covered, the woman immediately began nuzzling at her little one's face and neck.

Meg laughed lightly and reached up to playfully grab at her Mama's face as she continued her nuzzling.

For the moment, she had put her earlier fears behind her and was focused entirely on enjoying the comfort of having Anna back with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back after a fairly long absence! To be honest, life just kind of happened and I fell off with my writing. I greatly appreciate all of you reading my work and the kind notes you've left about it. Even though I haven't written in months, I never forgot about this story and have been considering where I want things to go. I hope you all enjoy the update!
> 
> Feel free to let me know if there's anything (or anyone) you'd like to see!


	7. Talk

The following morning would have felt like any other were it not for the obvious nervousness that was radiating off The Huntress.

She was always careful with Meg and did her best to be gentle, but the girl felt as if she was now being treated like a porcelain doll.

Anna had eased her out of sleep earlier by lightly rubbing her back instead of simply lifting her out of the cot and rocking her in the chair as per usual. She was then seated in her own chair for breakfast and given the rare option to feed herself.

Meg knew the behavior was out of character because her Mama was very affectionate and tactile in her expression of fondness. Now, however, she seemed almost afraid to touch her.

Currently, the redhead was sitting on her blanket near the fireplace surrounded by several blocks and books. Her caretaker sat at the nearby table attempting to sew some of the larger tears in one of her sarafans. Though she appeared encapsulated by her work, every few moments the giantess would glance over to check on her little one.

The previous night’s events loomed large in the redhead’s mind; and she knew that the same could be said for Anna. She was sure that what happened factored into the woman's anxious behavior.

Despite this, what she did not know was how to broach the subject. There was truly no skillful way or "right time" to begin a potentially difficult conversation.

_Might as well just say something now..._

"Mama? Will you sit with me? Please."

The girl seemed almost guilty as she spoke and considered the possibility of causing more potential unrest. Her hand trembled as she fought the urge to suck on her fingers.

Without a word, Anna set down the fabric and needle and moved to seat herself near, but not on, the blanket. She looked at Meg critically, but not unkindly, as if she was anticipating the reason for Meg’s request.

"Did I do something wrong?"

The girl bit her lip: hard. She wanted a conversation but feared her words could be perceived as accusatory.

_Too late now. We’re doing this._

The large woman shook her head vigorously before gesturing to herself.

"Was bad. Need fix. Want be good mother but...bad. Feel..."

Anna growled in frustration and scratched at her face as she tried to formulate her thoughts into words.

"Feel angry. _D’yavol _make hunt. Kill tiny humans. No need. Trapped. Little one alone! Mama not here take care of. Something happen to Meg..."

The final sentence was finished with a snarl as Anna seemed to be thinking of a possibility she was uninterested in speaking of.

Meg listened intently as The Huntress spoke. She could tell the woman was frustrated by her inability to articulate her thoughts very well in English. Even still, she revealed what appeared to be the root of last night’s issue.

"Mama" the girl said kindly; trying to bring Anna out of her own mind.

"I don’t think you’re bad. This place just makes everything awful. What happens here is because of that...thing."

She lightly tossed her hands as she looked upwards briefly and then continued.

"You were worried something would happen to me while you were gone? Is that why you were upset?"

Anna looked ashamed.

"Think of little girl alone. _D’yavol _command kill. See all. Know here. If not do command...take away? Me not accept this. Meg...stay. Mama’s little cub. Need."

Meg nodded her understanding. Clearly the woman was worried about her being alone; which was sweet. However, she still showcased a level of unpredictability that, while Meg knew was possible, still scared her to see firsthand. 

"You scared me last night, Mama. I don’t want to lie and say you didn’t. When you crashed through the door and looked so angry I was afraid something would happen to me."

Now came Meg’s turn to look ashamed. 

"I just reacted how I always have here; I ran away. Since I've been here you’ve shown me nothing but kindness. It was enough to make me almost forget where we are. I want to stay here with you, Mama. I understand why you felt so emotional coming back. Just..."

Meg briefly brought her fingers to her mouth as she felt a new wave of anxiety at what she wanted to say next. She once again fought the urge and continued after a moment.

"I just want to know that your emotions won’t overtake your senses. You’re the one good thing about this place and I don’t want to lose you."

The Huntress looked sheepish.

"Mama sorry. Not hurt baby."

_Baby? That’s new. Not unwelcome though I guess..._

"Will be good. If bad...talk."

Meg smiled, but frowned after a moment.

"Were you worried to hold me today because you thought I’d be scared or not want it? Or because you were scared of yourself?"

_Wow. Super philosophical, Meg._

The Huntress looked pensive and pulled at her hair briefly.

"Yes?"

Meg tried to stifle a laugh as the giantess was sincere in her answer. She suspected the truth was a combination of different factors.

The girl looked down at her lap thoughtfully for a moment. Contrary to popular belief, the giantess was not at all mindless or unintelligent. Anna had shown her as much in the time they had spent together. Despite this, she had difficulty with her sentence structure and articulation. Meg knew having this much of a dialogue was frustrating for Anna and she did not want to push her.

However, her curiosity about the woman's past was deep; and she blurted out her question before she could change her own mind.

"Did you ever live with animals?"

_No time like the present. Or whatever..._

"I know you've been here alone since...forever really. But you can mimic animal noises really well. Like the growling and stuff. I watched this movie called _Tarzan_ and he lived in the jungle with animals. So I've just kind of wondered about it and...I'll stop now."

Anna's blatant look of confusion caused Meg to stop her rambling abruptly.

"Sorry" the redhead whispered sheepishly and waited for the woman to answer.

"Mother talk. Then gone. No human. No talk. Forest no talk. Only animal."

_Makes sense. No people to talk to so just making noises of the forest._

She anticipated this answer to her own question, but wanted to see if Anna would divulge any more information. Being as she did not, the girl decided to drop the topic out of politeness. This was the woman's real life; not a sideshow or part of an ethnography.

Feeling satisfied with their overall discussion, the girl opened her arms in the same manner that her caregiver would when she signaled she wanted to hold her. Anna smiled before scooting over to sit next to the girl on her blanket. Immediately, Meg climbed into her lap and picked up a book to begin making up another picture-based story.

\--

"Mommy! Look!"

Meg was so excited about her find that she let the word slip out unconsciously as she ran over to where Anna was sharpening the blade on one of her hatchets.

With some convincing, the giantess had allowed her to go outside and explore near the house. Admittedly, the girl was surprised that she was successful in her negotiations; though she had no intention of questioning a good thing.

"Look!"

The redhead held up a small toad, similar to the one she had seen the day before, and waited to see her caregiver's reaction.

"Ah. Mama's little hunter. Very good. Have now?"

Meg nodded her head as she allowed Anna to hold her catch.

However, her pride turned to horror as the woman appeared she was going to eat the animal on the spot.

"What are you doing?!"

The girl cried out in alarm and caused the large woman to pause with the now struggling animal still held in her hand. She reached up desperately and tried to snatch the creature out of her Mama's hand.

"Give it back! You don't eat toads!"

The Huntress was thoroughly confused by her little one's outburst. Meg had caught the animal, presented it to her, and said she could have it. Now, however, the girl was throwing a fit.

"Not eat?"

"No! Toads aren't food. They're like...a pet. Definitely not for eating!"

Hesitantly, the giant woman allowed Meg to have the creature back. The girl quickly went over to a nearby tree and set the animal down; allowing it to hop away.

"What is 'pet?'"

Meg remained crouched and watched the toad continue its escape into the forest. She scrunched her nose as she thought of a good explanation for the woman's question.

"A pet is...something you keep for company. Like a cat or a dog. Really anything I guess. They just live with you and you take care of them and they love you for it."

The girl looked pensive again momentarily.

"Maybe a toad wouldn't be a good pet...but you still don't eat them! They're kind of gross actually. Ugh."

Anna seemed to have an epiphany with the girl's definition.

"Meg pet" she said proudly as if she truly understood the meaning of the new word.

For her part, Meg turned around and her jaw dropped comically.

"No! I'm not a pet! No no no that's not how that works!"

The Huntress was rapidly becoming more frustrated. She let out a huff and scratched at her head as the girl stood and walked towards her.

"Not...pet?"

"People aren't pets! They aren't supposed to be anyways. Only animals! I guess I should have specified that."

She began toeing the ground as she thought how to continue.

"People who take care of each other and love each other are friends. Or roommates if you live together. But you can be both."

Very slowly The Huntress nodded her head. She seemed skeptical to commit to understanding for fear of being wrong again.

"Meg friend?"

"Yes! We're two people who are friends."

"Me...not people though."

"Wh..." the redhead cut herself off as she realized she was unsure what to say exactly.

_Does she think she's not a person?_

"But you are a person. Like me."

This time, Anna gave no indication she either agreed or understood. She only stared.

"Not person. Not anymore."

_Well this got dark fast._

Instead of arguing the point, Meg decided she would simply tell the truth about what she felt.

"Well...whoever, or whatever, you are, I'm glad you're here with me."

This caused Anna to smile.

"Mama. And baby."

The girl snorted.

"I'm not a baby" she said playfully.

The Huntress tapped her lips in thought.

"Tiny. Cry. Need Mama. Baby."

"Hey! That's..."

Meg dropped off her sentence, and the finger she was using to point accusingly at the woman, when she could find no real fault in her words.

"I don't cry that much..." she mumbled after a moment.

Anna smiled wider and held out a finger which Meg begrudgingly wrapped her hand around after a moment. She tried to hide her sour expression as she was led back towards the cabin.

"Is my crying really that noticeable?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to balance the heavy and light themes of the story (and hope I'm doing okay)! 
> 
> I've also been considering having these two go outside of The Red Forest and do a bit of exploring. We'll have to see!
> 
> Thank you all for reading and I hope you're holding up okay during this weird and scary time.


	8. Cat

Though she feared saying so out loud would jinx her, Meg had little trouble thinking to herself that she was feeling a bit bored.

Several days had passed without incident, or excitement, and the girl was back to feeling comfortable at the cabin with Anna. By now she had explored practically every inch of the homestead's perimeter and had played with all of her toys more than once, daily. While she realized that feeling secure in a hellscape like The Entity's realm was a privilege, the redhead could not help but feel a bit antsy.

Checking around the corner of the wall for her caretaker, the woman could be seen tossing several pieces of wood into the fire. She had been hard at work sewing the tears in several different articles of clothing for the past few hours and would likely return to the task after being satisfied with the state of the fireplace.

Pulling herself back from the wall, Meg returned to stand in front of the wardrobe that sat in the middle of the main floor hallway. Part of her knew that she was snooping, but the girl justified her soon-to-be actions by reminding herself that the cabin was her home too.

Opening the large bottom drawer revealed only some rope, a thin blanket, and a fancy looking plate.

_Lame._

Unfortunately, the next two drawers held equally boring contents. Though she was not looking for anything in particular, she was hoping for another book, toy, or something she could entertain herself with.

The girl opened the final, top drawer to reveal several masks similar in make to the rabbit one Anna always wore.

Picking up one gently, she scanned the object and determined the animal to be a dog.

_Weird how they all look so similar._

Setting the mask down, she reached over and picked up the largest one. After taking a moment longer to determine the subject, Meg was fairly certain that this mask was meant to be a horse.

Though she thought the first two were interesting, the final mask was her favorite. Carefully holding the cat mask in her hands, she smiled as she looked over the rounded ears and eyebrows.

_Do cats even have eyebrows?_

Before she could begin trying to answer her own question, The Huntress appeared from around the corner and interrupted her thoughts. The way she had quickly entered the hallway led Meg to believe that the woman was a bit anxious due to her prolonged absence from her sight.

"Kitty!"

She held up the mask slightly and smiled sweetly up at her Mama. She really did like the mask, but she was more so hoping that talking about it would get her out of trouble for prying or being out of sight for too long.

Lucky for Meg, her plan worked. Anna seemed to melt whenever her little one would do something especially cute or allow her to baby her.

"Like?" the woman asked; smiling at the girl's proclamation.

Meg nodded her head animatedly and held the mask up higher. Seeming to understand what the girl wanted, the giantess removed her trademark rabbit mask and placed it on top of the wardrobe. She then took the mask from the girl's hands and promptly put it on.

"Kitty" she stated after the mask was securely on her face.

Meg giggled as she looked up at her caregiver.

"That one's my favorite. I love cats. I wish there was one here" she stated wistfully. "That would be fun and I would have someone to play with."

Briefly thinking back to her earlier notions of boredom, Meg decided to just admit her feelings.

"Mama, I want to go outside" she stated with a sigh. "Not just around the house, but actually exploring. I like everything here and being inside too, but I want to do more. I know that might sound kind of strange...but there's so much out there! Think about all the things we could find out!"

The Huntress lifted up the mask she had put on only moments prior to look critically at her little girl. After a moment, she shook her head.

"No. Not safe. Get hurt."

The finality of the words seemed to affect Meg greatly; as well as instantaneously. She began to tear up and her lower lip wobbled a bit. Though she knew the reasoning was practical and in her best interest, hearing that she would not be allowed any further than around the house made her feel upset.

Anna let out a low growl and rubbed at her face. She wanted to keep the girl safe but had clearly upset her in the process.

"Please. Not cry. Will..."

Another quiet growl interrupted the woman's statement as she wrestled with her thoughts.

"Think" she said with a bit of hesitation.

The irony of Meg's previous insistence that she did not cry much was not lost on either of the two. However, the girl felt now was not the time for jokes.

"I'm not trying to be like this, I promise."

She furiously rubbed at her eyes to get rid of the tears and gain some semblance of composure.

"I'm just feeling kind of upset is all. I know we can't go very far outside" she stated sadly.

Before the large woman had the chance to formulate a response, Meg walked around the corner to go lay on her blanket in the living room.

\--

A loud wail caused Anna to wake up with a start. She quickly looked beside her to where she had laid a swaddled Meg on the cot only a few hours prior.

The girl was covered in sweat and, judging from her puffy looking eyes, had been crying for a period of time. The Huntress grunted as she felt a sense of guilt for not waking up and comforting her distressed little one.

Trying to ease the girl out of one of her frequent nightmares, the giantess began to hum her lullaby and slowly stood to tiptoe over to the other side of the bed.

"Mama's little cub" she said quietly, momentarily breaking the sound of her humming as she began to unwrap the girl from her blanket.

"Mama!" the redhead cried out.

Though she was still crying too hard to open her eyes properly, Meg knew her caretaker's touch and lullaby.

Anna shushed her as she continued to gently uncover the girl from the blanket.

Once she was free of the covering, she instinctually reached out to her Mama to be held.

The Huntress lifted Meg into her arms where she immediately laid her head on the large woman's shoulder. Instead of holding onto her neck or grasping her for support, the girl simply leaned on the giantess with her arms held in front of her. Though only a small gesture, Anna smiled brightly as she hummed due to the fact that her baby trusted in her to keep her safe.

Using her free hand, the woman began rubbing small circles on the girl's back and paced the length of the room. Meg would usually have calmed completely at this point, but the woman could see that tears were still streaming down her cheeks. Slightly concerned by the prolonged tears, the giantess leaned down slightly to try and nuzzle the crying girl.

Instead of helping to calm her, the action instead seemed to cause her little one alarm as she cried out and tried to bury her face in the woman's neck.

"Just Mama" the woman said softly. "No afraid."

A whimper was the only response the small girl gave.

The Huntress was unsure why tonight she seemed to have difficulty soothing Meg; or why the girl seemed so distressed to begin with. Since coming to stay with her, the redhead suffered from frequent night terrors but could ordinarily be placated after only a few minutes.

Seeing as though her usual tactics were falling short, the woman decided to try something new.

She moved over to sit in the rocking chair and held the girl tight to her chest momentarily. She then began to maneuver her a bit so that she would be cradled in her left arm.

"Mama" the redhead whimpered and began to squirm.

Anna bounced her lightly and subsequently ran her finger down the side of the girl's face several times to test if she would pull away again. When she did not, the woman resumed nuzzling her and replaced her humming with a low, content growl; the sound not entirely dissimilar to that of a cat's purr.

Thankfully, Meg seemed to finally start relaxing. She opened her eyes slightly and looked up tiredly at her Mama who was smiling down at her kindly in return.

When her caregiver brushed back some stray hairs from her baby's face, she reached up and held the woman's large hand with both of her own. She studied the extremity sleepily before bringing it closer to her face.

After a moment of deliberation, the girl slowly placed one of the fingers into her mouth and began to suck. She let out a tiny sigh and her eyes fluttered briefly before closing shut.

Not feeling The Huntress trying to pull away, she let go of the woman's hand.

Anna seemed to comprehend that the girl was attempting to pacify herself and looked down curiously. In that moment, Meg looked incredibly small and fragile. Though she had proven herself to have spunk and be independent, Anna still wanted to care for and protect the girl more than anything.

"Baby" the woman whispered.

The girl did not respond to the word explicitly. However, she did press herself closer to the woman's body and push her face into the woman's chest.

Though Anna was unsure of many things in The Entity's world, she was more than certain that Meg had given her a renewed sense of purpose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> This little chapter is absolutely an excuse to write more cute interactions. You caught me.
> 
> Also, I made a Tumblr (@darkestxskies) the other day if any of you would like to send asks about the story there or want to chat!
> 
> https://darkestxskies.tumblr.com/


	9. Chance

The depth of Meg's concentration was visually represented by the combination of her furrowed brow and tongue poking out of the right side of her mouth. She was only moments away from total victory and needed The Huntress to remain still for a few seconds longer.

With one final heave, the girl was able to pull herself up and wrap her legs around Anna's bicep.

"Mama I did it!" she stated proudly.

"Very good?" her caregiver said skeptically.

The giantess was unsure why her little one had pleaded with her to hold her arm out and subsequently proceeded to climb her like one of the forest's many trees.

"What doing?" she asked curiously.

Meg was still hanging upside down from the woman's arm and seemed content in her position.

"Uh...I don't know. I'm bored, Mama" she said as if it were obvious. "You're really big so I thought it'd be funny to climb you."

The Huntress only grunted in response. The girl equally amused and intrigued her with the things she would say and do.

"Isn't your arm tired?" the redhead asked after a moment.

"Arm not sleep" the large woman responded seriously.

This caused the girl to giggle as she carefully dropped back down to the floor. She then immediately ran over towards the fireplace where her blanket was laying and grabbed the beloved object.

Anna watched as her little girl came barreling back towards her, blanket held to her chest, and crashed into her legs; though she barely felt the impact.

"Play" the woman said as she placed her hand on the girl's head.

Meg smiled up at her caregiver briefly before burying her face into the woman's side.

Admittedly, the redhead was going a bit stir crazy and was simply letting out some pent-up energy. She had been running around the house all morning and only stopped briefly to allow Anna to feed her some pieces of meat.

Deciding she wanted to be picked up, the girl dropped her blanket on the ground and started to pull on her caregiver's shirt before holding her arms up. However, when the woman did not move, Meg grew frustrated and began to pull harder.

"Mama!" she said irritatedly.

The Huntress cocked her head slightly as she watched her little one reach up as high as she could with one arm while still pulling on her top with the other.

"Be good" she said warningly when Meg's antics did not subside.

The stern tone of the giantess caught the girl off guard and caused her to stop immediately. She had yet to be punished, or seriously reprimanded, by her Mama since coming to stay with her; a streak she wanted to maintain.

Anna sighed in relief when the redhead's building tantrum was easily quelled. She looked thoughtful for a moment, and Meg could see her demeanor shift slightly as she prepared to speak.

"Be good. Mama take...outside."

Meg perked up instantly at the prospect of being let out of the house.

"I'll be good! I promise! Can we go looking for frogs this time instead of toads? There's a difference you know."

Anna shook her head. She had other plans in mind.

"Mama think. Will take see...fend?"

The woman spoke the final word uncertainly.

"Fend? Wait. Friend?! What friend?!" the girl said with a level of excitement.

"Sally. Friend" she said trying to sound out the word carefully.

Meg was astounded. The Huntress had never mentioned someone named "Sally;" let alone that she had even spoken with anyone else in The Entity's realm.

_It's been a couple days since I brought up going outside. I thought she forgot. I guess she really did think about it._

The girl then shifted her thoughts back to who exactly her Mama's friend was.

"Who is she, Mama? Where is she at? What does she look like? Is she in the forest? Has she ever been here?"

The girl fired off her questions quickly; eager to learn more about who the woman was taking her to see.

Anna stared down at her little girl as she spoke animatedly.

"Baby very small. But talk much" she said flatly.

This assessment caused the girl to laugh out loud. She then grabbed her caregiver's hand and tried to pull her towards the door.

"Let's go! Hurry!"

The Huntress did not budge despite Meg's best efforts.

"No. Need make ready" she said while gently removing her hand from Meg's own.

The woman reached down and handed the girl her blanket before walking over to start putting out the fire. Meg held on to her comfort item tightly and thought about if she needed to take anything with her; only to realize she had just her blanket and toys.

_Not really essentials I guess..._

She waited patiently as Anna put out the fire and signaled for her to stay where she was. Seconds after she turned the corner, the girl heard the sound of one of the wardrobe drawers opening and closing. A moment later, the giantess reappeared with what appeared to be some sort of article of clothing.

"For little girl" the woman said as she held out the apparently reconstructed, and partially intact, sarafan.

Setting her blanket back down and taking the dress, Meg looked over the children's pattern consisting of formerly colorful squares with images of flowers and cute animals. She thought the outfit looked familiar but was not entirely sure. In any case, she assumed Anna wanted her to wear it for one reason or another.

"Thank you" she said sincerely. "I can wear it now?"

The Huntress shook her head.

"Need wear more. Leg not out. Cold bad" she stated.

Meg looked down at her current getup and had to agree that her shorts, t-shirt, and zip-up hoodie were not exactly exploration friendly. She smiled at Anna's thoughtfulness and shimmied off her jacket. She wrapped the sarafan around her waist with her shirt tucked in, similar to her caretaker's own way of dressing, and then put her hoodie back on.

"I'm you, Mama" she said laughing slightly.

"Mama's little cub" the woman responded proudly as she took in the girl's choice of how to wear her gifted dress.

The giantess then walked over towards the door and retrieved her signature axe.

"Take?" she asked while nodding to the blanket Meg had set down to put on her dress.

The girl bit her lip and looked over at her coveted item. She felt a bit embarrassed to admit she wanted to bring the thing along, but was also slightly worried she may lose it.

"But...what if I lose it, Mama?"

The woman looked pensive for a moment before she reached over and grabbed the cover. She then took her axe and very carefully cut off a small piece of the already tattered blanket. Leaning her axe against the living room table, she looked over her work before holding out the hand-towel sized piece of fabric. Meg gratefully took the swatch and rubbed her face against it.

_Travel size._

Anna had then returned to the wardrobe where Meg could hear more opening, shutting, and shuffling. She assumed that the woman too was putting on a different outfit of some sort. The girl waited patiently for a few minutes until her Mama re-emerged wearing the coat she had seen stored in the wardrobe; along with her favorite mask.

"Kitty!" she said happily.

Anna let out a low chuckle at her baby's reaction to the mask. She then picked up her axe and looked over the room one last time.

Just as Meg thought they would be leaving, The Huntress put her large hand on her cheek and looked down earnestly.

"Mama...go for baby."

The words were spoken so softly Meg could barely hear them.

"Want safe. Meg stay with Mama. No..." she gestured broadly as she tried to convey her thoughts. "No get lost. No run. Kill who touch little one."

The girl nodded her head understandingly.

"I'll stay with you. I promise."

Anna released a breath that even she had no idea she was holding.

"I know you're nervous. So thank you. For doing this for me."

Meg understood that the woman had reservations about them wandering far from the cabin. For Anna to take her to a new place, and especially, see a new person, was a huge deal. Though she still had no idea who Sally was, her caregiver must trust them enough to allow a visit.

Anna nodded her head and gripped her axe in her right hand. She stuck out the first finger of her left hand for Meg to hold, and the girl grasped the digit tightly. The giantess then led them out of the cabin and off into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been on a writing roll for the past couple of days! This story has always been something I’ve enjoyed writing, but I’ve found that it’s been even more enjoyable to have something I can create fairly consistently and execute a level of control over in a world that feels out of control a lot of the time.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Here’s my Tumblr again for those who want it!
> 
> darkestxskies.tumblr.com


	10. Sally

Meg had forgotten just how eerie the endless fog could be. The stillness of the air, combined with the uncertainty of who, or what, could be in the mist, made her feel uneasy. She gripped her Mama's finger tighter as they continued their trek through The Entity's realm.

Though they had left the cabin several hours ago, Anna gave no indication that they were close to their destination. The walk through the forest had only taken half an hour at most; a stark contrast to the several hours they had been wandering through the fog.

The girl looked around her, squinting at some points, in an effort to make out any sort of structure or break in the dark mist.

"There" The Huntress said suddenly.

Meg could see nothing from where they were standing and tried her best to see what caused her caregiver to stop.

"I don't see anything" the girl said, slightly confused.

"Not see. Feel."

This answer did little to clear up Meg's bewilderment. In any case, she guessed that the woman must somehow know that where they were heading was close.

Anna lifted her head slightly and sniffed at the air before beginning to walk again. The redhead remained quiet and observed how her caretaker was apparently tracking something.

"Ah!" the girl cried out suddenly, covering her face as a bit of fog seemed to whip up at them before dissipating totally.

When she brought her hand back down, the charred remains of what she and the other survivors believed to be some sort of asylum, loomed in the distance. Unlike Anna's cabin, the asylum still appeared fairly dilapidated despite having some noticeable repairs and closed off walls.

_This place looks okay enough for someone to live in what's left of it. I guess._

Anna seemed unaffected by the lashing fog, though she looked over Meg briefly, and cocked her head slightly as she surveyed the area.

The woman finally let out a grunt and gently tugged at Meg's hand to encourage her to begin walking towards the main structure. Though she walked alongside the giantess, the redhead did so with extreme caution.

"I'm scared" the girl said quietly.

"Mama here" The Huntress replied kindly.

Meg pouted slightly but said nothing more. The two continued walking towards the structure momentarily before the girl's eyes widened and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"You don’t think we’ll see that clown guy, right? He's around some other part of this place, I thought. Near that church. I...don't like him at all. He's super creepy..."

"What is 'clown guy?' Clown guy man? No man come near little girl" the woman said seriously.

Meg felt some relief at hearing The Huntress would not allow The Clown near her specifically. However, she then turned her thoughts to how their current location could only mean her Mama's friend was The Nurse.

The girl shivered a bit as she began to walk again and thought of the woman who, she herself, never walked; only glided about with her face concealed by a dirty pillowcase. There were so many things surrounding her that Meg found supremely disturbing. Perhaps the most unsettling being the simple fact that a nurse, an individual whose purpose was to help others and save lives, was the one inflicting deliberate pain and suffering.

_This place has a way of perverting things. But, Mama must trust her. And she's probably stuck here too..._

Despite her attempts to rationalize, as she walked up the steps to the front door of the main building, Meg thought she would go deaf from the pounding in her ears. She was incredibly nervous, even with Anna next to her, and simultaneously felt guilty at allowing herself to get too comfortable at the cabin.

"Mama" she said shakily as she stared at the ominous looking doors and slid her fingers into her mouth.

The Huntress shushed her lightly and moved to open the door. She stood waiting patiently for Meg to enter on her own terms and gave a quiet "keep safe" as they entered the building's threshold.

_This place looks old. Not as bad as I was thinking though. Kinda dirty but..._

The girl wanted to make a joke about having to check-in at the front desk but became quiet as Anna started to hum her lullaby.

_Trying to let her know we're here?_

Meg thought she heard some rustling above them and gripped the woman's finger tighter. She reached into her pocket to pull out the piece of her blanket and held the cloth against her face for comfort as she moved closer into the woman's side.

"Go up" the woman said quietly when no one appeared.

The girl nodded silently against her blanket swatch and released her Mama's finger. The two ascended the stairs and entered into the large, center room that occupied the majority of the second floor.

Taking a look around, Meg could see that this room functioned as a minimal living space. Though nothing in comparison to Anna's cabin, the area was still livable with a small bed, a desk, several chairs, and what appeared to be a boundless amount of paperwork.

The girl pocketed her blanket piece and picked up one of the file folders before beginning to flip through an apparent patient profile. The writing was smudged and practically illegible which begged the question of why The Nurse had bothered to keep all of the information at hand.

Anna was totally relaxed, humming her song and watching as her little one took in her surroundings. She suddenly sniffed at the air, feeling a shift, but was unable to warn Meg before it was too late.

Suddenly, the sound of what the survivors had dubbed as "blinking" could be heard as The Nurse mad an appearance in the space between Anna and Meg.

The abruptness of the arrival caused Meg to cry out and drop the file she was looking over. Papers flew in various directions and the girl felt her anxiety heighten from the unexpected surfacing of the building's occupant; along with the chaos she caused from knocking the files over.

"I thought I heard you, Anna."

The voice of The Nurse was quiet, gravely, and at the same time, distinctly feminine. She floated silently in place with her head turned towards The Huntress. Meg was unsure that, despite her ruckus, the woman had even noticed her as she gave no indication of such.

Anna smiled widely as her humming subsided and she looked over the figure in front of her.

"Sally" she said fondly.

To say Meg felt awkward would be an understatement. The two women in front of her had yet to acknowledge her, and she was unsure if she should speak up or begin to pick up her mess.

Just as she bent down to begin gathering the papers, she could feel the stare of The Nurse finally rest on her.

"You've brought someone, I see. And she's been helping herself to my files."

Though the girl felt her tone held no malice, her Mama bristled at the words. She let out a low snarl before coming to stand protectively in front of where Meg remained crouched on the floor. Raised to her full height, axe gripped firmly in her hands, Anna was the picture of intimidation. However, The Nurse only laughed lightly at the display.

"Oh, Anna. I was only joking! Now...are you going to introduce me to your friend here?"

Though she was unable to see her face, Meg could hear the smile in the woman's voice.

Anna seemed to deflate a bit as The Nurse spoke and turned to look down at Meg. While a bit hesitant, she eventually leaned her axe on the table and guided Meg to stand in front of her; though she did not remove her hands from the girl's small shoulders.

"Meg. Little one. _Detka._"

"Hi..." the girl said shyly after a moment. "I'm sorry I was being nosey."

The Nurse tried not to let out a laugh as the girl seemed genuine in her apology.

"I don't mind at all, dear. You can help yourself to anything here."

Unsure of what to say next, Meg only nodded politely. She could feel her caregiver's large hands hesitantly let go as she then began to crouch down and gather the dropped papers.

"And you..." Sally said playfully. "Bringing that poor girl all the way here and then not wanting me to see her?!"

The Huntress let out a low growl and pushed at her face. Meg tried to pretend she was not paying attention, but she had never seen her Mama talk with anyone else; thus, her interest was peaked by simply watching the two interact.

"Anna sorry."

_Haven't heard her call herself that in a long time._

Sally simply gave a lighthearted push to The Huntress' shoulder before turning back to sit on a nearby chair.

Now finished reorganizing the paperwork, Meg returned to feeling edgy and uncertain of what to do with herself. Seeing as though the main source of her unease was currently in the room with her, the girl decided she wanted to do a bit of exploring. Though she knew this would perhaps be a bit rude, the redhead wanted to see what the rest of the ward may contain.

"Um...can I look around, please? I like exploring" she said quietly, yet abruptly.

Anna immediately shot the girl a warning look. However, she was promptly cut off from any verbal protest by Sally's agreement.

"Of course, honey. Just be careful. This old place isn't the safest and we don't want you getting hurt" she said good-naturedly.

She then turned her head pointedly towards The Huntress who remained standing near the table and her axe.

"Anna? Why don't we chat a bit while Meg here gets a chance to explore."

Despite being given permission by The Nurse, Meg worried she would upset her caregiver by leaving. She walked over and wrapped her arms around Anna's waist as best she could and looked up.

"I'll stay inside. I promise. Can I go, Mama? Please?"

The girl tried to fight back a wince when she realized what she said. She hoped that The Nurse was unable to hear her and she would quickly be given permission to go off.

"Not go out..." the giantess said after a moment. "Behave."

Quickly nodding her head, Meg turned to exit the room and begin looking around the top floor.

Once she had disappeared out of the room and earshot, Sally redirected her full attention to Anna.

"What are you doing?" she said sadly. "She's precious, but you can't keep her with you, Anna. You know that."


	11. Sally II

"What are you doing?" The Nurse said sadly. "She's precious, but you can't keep her with you, Anna. You know that."

The large woman felt her anger swell once again. Her friend's words forced a confrontation with thoughts she tried to avoid since bringing Meg home.

"Mine" she growled. 

"That beast in the sky would surely disagree" replied the other woman flatly.

Sally let out a long sigh after seeing The Huntress become further indignant as the tension in the air grew. In her mind, she was only reminding Anna to remain on the err of caution.

Though the pillowcase on her face concealed any emotions, the sympathy the woman felt could be heard clearly in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I don't mean to upset you, but I can't imagine a favorable outcome for either of you. To see you hurt would pain me greatly" the woman said carefully. "I can see already how much that girl means to you. That's what worries me."

The giantess looked down and studied her hands critically as if she were purposefully trying to shield herself from fully digesting the words of her friend.

"_D'yavol _know. See all. Me go to kill. Do good, Meg stay."

"You really believe that? At any moment things here can change. Who's to say that, despite how well you perform, that thing won't decide to take her away even still? Just because it can!"

Anna snarled at the thought of Meg being taken from her.

"Don't you dare growl at me again! I'm trying to help you! And her! Be realistic, Anna. What happens if she's sent away to another of those sick games?"

The Huntress pawed at her face as The Nurse spoke; greatly agitated by the current conversation and the bleak possibilities it contained.

"Please" the smaller woman said gently as she moved to carefully take one of the giant's hands. "Believe me when I say I'm only trying to help you. And that I'm glad you came to see me."

Anna nodded slowly after a moment of taking deep breaths.

"Just be careful. Both of you."

"Friend..."

The Nurse squeezed the hand she was holding tighter as The Huntress gave a small smile in return.

\--

Anna and Sally fell into easier, much lighter conversation following the conclusion of the latter's expression of her concerns. The largest woman offered to divulge the details of her first meeting with Meg and their developing connection while The Nurse listened keenly to every detail.

Though the two had only been alone for less than half an hour, the giantess began to look around nervously and sniff the air.

"I'm sure she's fine" The Nurse said kindly.

Anna let out what could only be described as a low whine in response to the comforting words. She believed her friend but remained nervous even still.

"Perhaps I could bring her back?"

"Mine" the woman replied quickly.

"I know" Sally replied, laughing slightly. "But you get her all the time! I've barely had the chance to even speak with her."

The Huntress looked skeptically as the woman spoke.

"If you allow me to, I'll bring her back. And I promise to take great care of her."

"Back..." she muttered uncertainly.

After growling lowly to herself, the giant deflated and nodded her compliance.

Not waiting in case Anna changed her mind, Sally gave a quiet "be back soon" before blinking out of the room.

\--

Locating the small girl was fairly easy for Sally as, true to her word, she remained inside the building. She could hear rustling coming from one of the lower rooms and presumed this could only be her other visitor having a look around. In an effort to keep from scaring the girl, The Nurse called out before entering the room.

"Meg?"

Hearing her name, the redhead stood from where she was surveying the contents of an old chest and turned around to locate the source of the voice.

"I'm in here" she said nervously.

Sally entered the room with the confirmation that Meg was indeed where she believed her to be. The girl grew noticeably restless after seeing that only The Nurse came to find her and the two of them were alone.

"Quite the nice place, isn't it?" the woman said playfully in an effort to calm the girl.

Meg only shook her head in response. She thought she could see The Nurse studying her, though there was no way to be sure due to her face being obscured.

"I know you're nervous, honey, but you don't have to be afraid. Mama's upstairs and I'm just here to come get you."

The girl was shocked by the other woman's use of the word "Mama" to describe Anna and was unsure how to proceed once again. She assumed that her caregiver must have told The Nurse at least a bit about their relationship while she was gone exploring. However, she was quite surprised that the woman was allowed to come alone.

In a continued effort to get the redhead to open up, Sally continued with her questioning.

"Find anything interesting?" she asked trying to sound more casual.

"Um...there's a lot of papers around. And I see a whole bunch of beds and other furniture. Oh, and toys."

"Do you like toys?"

The girl appeared embarrassed at the question but answered truthfully even still.

"I have some toys at home that I like" she said quietly.

The Nurse instantly took note of the girl's reference to Anna's cabin as her home. She could also clearly see the girl was uncomfortable and wanted to mediate the awkwardness that seemed to permeate between them.

"Would you like to see something? I think you might like it."

"Um...okay..." Meg said shyly and began to follow The Nurse out of the room.

The older woman led them over to a smaller room that Meg had only briefly paid attention to. She dug through a small crate momentarily before pulling out a small, wooden object.

"I had a patient once, long ago; this was his. He loved this little horse. Because he was unable to speak, the other nurses assumed he was unable to think. If only they knew how wrong they were" the woman said wistfully. "To be quite honest, there are more painful than pleasant memories here. But this toy, and the person it belonged to, are a part of one of the few memories of this place that I truly cherish."

"It's cute..." she said looking over the toy in the woman's hands. "So you worked here? Really?"

"Crotus Prenn Asylum. This building, as well as the others, didn't look much better when the facility was in operation, truthfully. Overcrowding and overworking brought things crumbling down; among other things..." she stated despondently. "Fitting that I would be forced to reside here, neither dead nor alive, only in limbo."

The woman's words both interested and saddened Meg. As she suspected, Sally was once a real person with a life outside of The Entity's realm.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you" she said sincerely.

The Nurse's shoulders drooped a bit, and the girl considered that she was likely still struggling internally with whatever occurred to bring her to their current hellscape.

"Here" she said suddenly. "I want you to have this."

Holding out the wooden horse, the woman sounded determined about her decision to part ways with the toy.

"But...your patient? I wouldn't want to take it."

"Please. You aren't taking my memories. I'll always have those. Perhaps this horse can help another little one feel some joy. Even here."

Meg gently took the horse from the woman's hands and ran her fingers over its smooth exterior. She held the small object to her chest before smiling softly at the person who gifted it to her.

"Thank you."

\--

"Mama! Look what Sally gave me!"

The girl ran into the upstairs room where her caregiver was currently seated on one of the various wooden chairs. She immediately jumped onto the woman's lap and held the toy up for her to see.

Seeing as though Anna had already divulged the gist of their relationship, she saw no real reason to hide things.

"Horse?"

Meg nodded her head quickly. She adjusted herself slightly and began looking over her new toy again as Sally silently moved into the room. Very quickly, however, the girl started to become irritated as The Huntress kept pulling at her limbs and clothes while sniffing her.

"I'm fine" she drawled out. "Not one cut or bruise; even after I tripped over some old box."

Sally watched the interaction silently and with a great deal of interest. Abundantly clear to the woman was that the two people in front of her cared for each other immensely. She almost felt guilty for voicing her concerns to Anna earlier as she watched her giant friend dote on the girl in her lap.

"No, Mama!" the redhead whined, pushing at the woman's face lightly.

"Little cub. Sleep time" Anna replied while taking the girl's prodding hand into one of her own.

"I don't want to sleep though" she stated tearily.

Anna could see the girl was working herself up and shushed her quickly.

The Nurse only continued her quiet observation despite sensing Meg's impending tantrum. Though she procured experience dealing with such things during her time working at Crotus Prenn, she did not want to undermine Anna by stepping in directly.

"You all are more than welcome to stay here, if you'd like."

While not a direct intervention, the invitation fulfilled both her need to be polite and allow her guests to remain as long as they may need.

The giantess nodded her thanks while offering a slight smile as Meg continued to wriggle about in her arms.


	12. Trial

_This mattress is so fucking uncomf-_

Meg's thoughts were silenced as she opened her eyes and stared at the dark, cloudy sky above her. Moving her hand slightly, she could feel the grass beneath her fingers and gripped the blades tightly in a shaking fist.

Ending up outside was more than disconcerting to the girl as she last remembered Anna lulling her to sleep on one of Crotus Prenn's many discarded mattresses.

As she moved to sit, a loud squishing noise could be heard from beneath her. The sound alone was enough to indicate where she was without having to see the mangled trees and decrepit boat in the distance.

_Ugh. The swamp._

Annoyance quickly faded into apprehension as Meg realized there was only one reason why she would be out in the swamp with no sign of her Mama.

Quickly approaching footsteps confirmed her fears as the redhead struggled to stand and be free of the disgusting mud and slime that coated the ground.

"Meg?"

Though her name was said with a great deal of awe, Ace never slowed his pace and continued to run towards the stranded fishing vessel.

"Asshole" the girl mumbled under her breath as she tried to quietly move behind a nearby stump and gather her thoughts.

There were no real rules per-say in The Entity's world, but never before had she simply been thrown into a trial without any warning. The small girl looked around her warily as she attempted to locate any other fellow survivors or whoever was hunting them.

_Focus. Just need to ground myself._

Shuffling around the other side of the stump, the redhead took a deep breath and began to make her way towards a generator that was nearby.

As she approached the machine, Meg tried to keep her breathing even and remind herself of how many times she had completed the repair work before. Immediately, she got to work trying to restart the thing the moment her hands touched the cold metal.

"You're okay" came a soft voice behind her.

Claudette was beside her within seconds and began to assist with the restoration.

"We've been worried about you. I wondered if I'd ever see you again."

She knew that the woman was being sincere as she was one of the most genuinely kind people Meg had ever met. Truthfully, she was happy to hear that someone was thinking of her.

At the same, however, she felt the familiar sensation of guilt in the pit of her stomach.

"I'm okay...But I've been poking around a lot. There's so much here going on that we don't even know! This is all one giant trap. For everyone."

"Even them?"

There was no need to ask who "them" was in reference to.

"Yes" came the simple, firm reply.

Though she trusted Claudette and appreciated her company, she feared the consequences of being totally honest. To think the others would ostracize her completely, or perhaps worse, she would be unable to see Anna, terrified her.

Chancing a glance, she could see her friend appeared to be mulling over her own thoughts.

"I've kept collecting plants from around camp and a ways out. My notes on them and the environment, my experiments; they can help us. All of us. I hope."

_Always so compassionate..._

Another nod, with the addition of a small smile, brought the short conversation to a close. The reunion was nice, but there was little time for talk.

With a loud pop and flash of light, the generator came to life and each girl looked at the other before silently making the decision to split up.

As she ran from the source of noise and light, Meg searched for the fourth member of their party to no avail. She simply continued on her way momentarily before ducking behind a collection of wooden crates.

Stopping briefly, the girl traced back her thoughts as to why she was sent to trial at this particular time. Nothing happened randomly in The Entity's realm. There was a reason she was chosen.

_Was it because I left the cabin? I finally got to go exploring, hear from someone else, and now I'm back here? Is this a punishment because I was feeling...happy?_

The girl cringed at the mention of happiness; as if the mere thought could cause a barrage of further suffering to suddenly befall her. Being dropped back into the hell that was a trial right after a period of contentment seemed all too perfect. She had gone from one emotional extreme to the other; and this fact did not escape her notice.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

She whipped her head to the side to see Nea only a few feet away looking at her rather critically.

"Let's fucking go" she bit out before continuing without waiting for a response.

_Nice to see you too..._

Meg headed in the opposite direction and grimaced as she felt her feet sink further into the mud with every step.

A loud cry rang out suddenly and caused her to falter. She recognized Ace's voice and knew whoever their adversary was had finally gotten to one of them.

Within a few seconds, he was placed on a hook.

_I've done this a million times. Just keep going..._

Despite trying to calm herself, the girl knew that no matter how many trials she entered, she would never get used to them or the feeling of the hook stabbing through her torso.

Ace's cries sounded closer than Meg was comfortable with and she immediately began to try and circle around.

Unfortunately for the nervous girl, the sound of something flying towards her registered too late. Glass shattered and a cloud of intoxicant immediately invaded her lungs.

"Ahhh!" she screamed as she began to run blindly while choking on the gas.

_The fucking clown?!_

Though in her mind she was running as fast as she could, the redhead knew her movements were slow and labored as she struggled to breathe and coordinate her feet.

A sharp pain came as she felt her arm be slashed from what was assuredly The Clown's knife. Again, she cried out in pain, but subsequently dropped to the mud.

As she lifted her face from the ground she gasped for the air she felt was unable to fill her lungs. She coughed and gagged for several moments before realizing she had yet to be picked up and carried to a hook.

Lifting a hand, she tried to wipe the grime from her eyes before beginning to slowly crawl in the direction she was facing. The difficulty of each dragging action was enhanced by her injured arm, and she tried to bite back the tears that threatened to spill. The cut was deep, and the mud coating the wound only added to its severity.

The Clown being the chosen Killer was again too disgustingly ideal for any sort of coincidence. Meg coughed bitterly at the thought of being targeted by The Entity for her actions.

Her coughs turned to whimpers as she continued her pitiful drag across the swamp. She wanted her Mama now more than ever.

Her Mama who would protect her and make everything go away.

The screams and curses of another fellow survivors were lost to the shaken girl as she desperately tried to refocus herself.

Finally, she felt someone grab her and drag her to the side.

She was about to scream when a hand came over her mouth.

"No hook?" came the startled half question, half statement from Claudette.

Meg only groaned in agony in response as she felt her friend remove her hand and get to work trying to patch her up.

"Something's going on. This all feels...different."

The other woman was talking quietly to fill the silence more so than fill in her friend. The unusualness of Meg's situation was certainly apparent to her.

Hearing a rip and feeling a pat indicated to the girl that Claudette was finished and she could try to stand.

"Are you good? Ace is gone. Nea's off somewhere. Three generators left."

Meg nodded as she felt a bit of the haze lift from her mind. She knew the odds were stacked against them.

This time, instead of separating, she felt the taller woman move to her side to guide her. The two then moved slowly through the muck before finally reaching another generator.

"We need to work fast."

Despite her best efforts, Meg's fingers felt weak and she was unable to totally shake the feeling of dread within her.

"Meg are you" was all Claudette said before another glass bottle erupted beside them.

This time, the redhead was unable to keep herself coherent and quickly began succumbing to the effects of the toxin.

\--

A sharp pain in her side jolted Meg out of the drug-induced state of disarray she was feeling. With a cry of pain, she reached for the afflicted area only to find something blocking her way.

Her eyes quickly focused on the sight of The Clown beside her; slowly dragging his beloved knife down her side.

"What the fuck?!" she screamed and tried to push away.

"Balance" came the gruff voice of The Clown.

He spoke as if the single word was the most obvious answer in the world. He roughly grabbed the girl’s thin ankle to stop her from continuing her escape plan. The Clown was quickly met with several kicks to the chest as Meg only heightened her struggle in response.

As she screamed and thrashed, Meg’s assailant lazily slashed away at her and gave no real indication of any emotions.

"What do you want from me?! What's happening?!"  
  
The words were delivered with more fear and desperation than the girl would have usually liked. At the moment, however, she was much too horrified to care.

Again, The Clown only spoke one word before driving his knife into the side of her neck.

"Balance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? It's a horror game after all. Things were bound to go further south sooner rather than later. Meg has been breaking a lot of unsung rules, so perhaps it's all retaliation. She exists in The Entity's world and The Clown is one of its favorites...


	13. Clean

Meg felt as though she had been walking, or rather, shambling, for hours. The fog seemed to go on and on forever as she continued to wander aimlessly about in search of a way to reach her Mama.

She winced at the sharp pains that emanated from the large cut on her side and used her uninjured arm to try and keep her shirt from sticking to the blood. Despite this throbbing on her torso, a gentle touch to the wound on her neck confirmed that, thankfully, that particular injury was no longer bleeding as heavily.

When she had come to after being stabbed by The Clown, once again she found herself alone and disoriented. This time, however, Meg was seemingly left to her own devices in the fog that continued to trap her.

"I'm still being punished..." she mumbled bitterly while scanning her surroundings.

The Clown clearly had an agenda when he took the time to torture and terrify her during the trial. While at first she was unsure as to whether or not he was acting under the instruction of The Entity, the timing of the unusual attack, followed by her subsequent hike through the fog, seemed to be concrete evidence. To think some of those in the realm would act as direct agents of the creature's will was not unreasonable.

Meg was quiet for a period of time as she continued her pitiful attempts to find The Red Forest. Every step brought a new ache or pain to her body that served as a distraction as she attempted to remain focused on her goal of going home.

"Mama?!"

She called out into the nothingness that surrounded her in a desperate bid to locate her caregiver or potentially will their home into existence.

A frustrated cry followed shortly after the lack of response. She knew that allowing herself to become upset would only further complicate her situation and could feel that she was already reaching the point of no return.

Stopping to collect herself, the girl closed her eyes and took a moment to breathe deeply in and out. She longed to be back with her Mama and knew she would have to remain levelheaded in order to increase her chances of success.

With a final, deep breath, she slowly reopened her eyes and began walking more confidently.

A short period of time later, she began to see the mist recede and was met by the edge of The Red Forest. The relief she felt at being back in the familiar place was immediate and immense. Despite this, her body, not yet recovered from the brutality she faced earlier, would not allow her to move as fast as she would have liked.

"Mama!" she called out urgently while trying to reach the cabin.

The girl tried her best to quicken her pace and find the woman she desperately wanted to see. She knew that her Mama would make her feel better and was unconcerned with how dependent she felt on her to provide the feeling of safety and security.

Suddenly, Meg could hear the distinct sound of someone approaching from behind her. She paused and waited for the sounds to subside before turning around and seeing Anna standing a short distance away.

"Mama!" she cried tearfully.

The giantess closed the distance between them in seconds. The girl quickly pressed herself against the large woman's front and gripped her top as she felt herself being petted and pulled on.

"Little girl" Anna said with noticeable relief in her voice.

When she tried to lift her baby into her arms, however, Meg let out a pained cry.

For a brief second, the giant woman froze. She then increased her earlier pulling tenfold and began to sniff the small redhead all over.

"Mama I hurt" came the heartbreaking response to her Mama's checkup.

"Hurt?!" Anna stated with partial surprise and partial panic.

She lightly touched the wound on Meg's neck before moving to touch the cut on her arm.

"Here" the girl said sadly while bringing her caretaker's hand to her side.

Though her face was obscured by the signature rabbit mask, the older woman was clearly viewing the injuries on her little one with a critical look.

"Heal?"

Meg understood the single-worded question as she had been asking the same one to herself since waking up in the fog. With the conclusion of each trial, everyone was returned intact to the campfire where they awaited their next round of torture. Instead, she was left still very much in pain and in the middle of nowhere.

"Mama! Hurts!" she said with a sob.

Seeing her Mama and her concern, along with the pain she felt, was almost too much for the girl to process. She only knew she wanted to feel better and that the woman in front of her would be able to make it so. Being with Anna made her feel small in the best of ways and she was in no state to feel the shame or fear of regression in her presence.

Anna shushed her little one patiently before very carefully lifting the redhead into her arms. She tried to cradle her baby as gently as she could before beginning to walk back to their cabin.

"Little cub. Mama clean" she whispered thoughtfully to girl who was staring up at her forlornly.

As they entered the cabin, the giantess headed directly to the fireplace and attempted to set Meg down. She was, unsurprisingly, met with a cry of frustration and had to practically pry the two of them apart. She resigned to hold the girl's tiny hands in one of her own and carefully placed her baby down on the floor.

The action once again brought on a barrage of tears as Meg was left seated alone on the ground.

"Why cry? Mama here" The Huntress said gently in an effort to calm her very upset little one. 

Another pitiful noise was the only response she was gifted. Gently, the woman smoothed Meg's hair before instructing her to stay put.

Thumping sounds could be heard from the kitchen area as the small redhead remained by the fireplace. She waited impatiently for her caregiver to return and instinctively held her arms out when the woman re-entered the room with a bucket and cloth in her hands.

Again, Anna shushed her lightly as she set the bucket and piece of cloth down. She allowed Meg to pull on her pant leg momentarily before crouching down in front of her.

"Clean" the woman stated simply.

She then reached forward and began to lift Meg's shirt up and over her head. Silently, the girl complied and watched as her Mama tossed the article of clothing off to the side.

Judging by the slight tugging on her shorts, she assumed Anna wanted to make sure she was clean and injury free all over. The younger girl was apprehensive for only a brief moment. She then allowed the giantess to remove the rest of her clothing and let out a squeak when she felt the freezing water touch her side.

"Cold!" she complained as she was wiped down by the slightly ratty cloth.

Her Mama chuckled lowly at the little girl's fussing and began to hum her lullaby as she made sure each of the wounds were free from any dirt or grime.

For her part, Meg again felt no shame or fear at her current situation. The giantess next to her that was so carefully trying to clean her wounds had consistently shown the compassion, kindness, and maternal attention Meg had craved her entire life.

The girl quickly grabbed the older woman's free hand and clutched it with both of her own. She then brought the much larger hand up to her face and began nuzzling in the same fashion she had seen so many times before.

"Mama here" whispered Anna as she continued cleaning the rest of the girl's body.

Once she was finished, the giantess leaned back on her heels and watched as Meg continued to hold her large hand.

The girl looked up shyly after a moment.

"Hold me?"

The words were spoken quietly, but the look in Meg's eyes was pleading. She desperately needed comfort and for her caretaker to shield her from the world.

Anna smiled kindly from underneath her mask. She carefully extracted her hand before standing with the intention of retrieving another item.

Immediately, a whimper came from her still seated little one.

"Shhh. Meg want."

Quickly, the woman disappeared to the upstairs bedroom and reappeared holding something behind her back. As she descended the stairs, Meg looked curiously up at her Mama and what she was hiding behind her.

Once she was standing in front of the girl, The Huntress brought her arms back out in front of her and showcased Meg's blanket proudly.

"Mine!" came the cry of relief and excitement at seeing her comfort item.

The blanket was draped around small shoulder's and Anna began to swaddle the girl in the same fashion they were each accustomed to. Though her previous nakedness was of little concern to her, the feeling of only her blanket around her brought Meg a new level of security and comfort.

"Mama" the girl whimpered as she was brought to the woman's chest.

A small hand came to rest over the woman's breast and gripped her shirt. However, instead of feeling a sense of solace from the action, she felt a bit of frustration and began to pull on the fabric irritatedly.

Usually, Meg was able to articulate her wishes and needs fairly easily. Though at the present time, she was feeling much too emotional and small. She only continued to pull on the fabric and whine.

After a moment, the girl was shifted to be resting against her caretaker's front and immediately began pushing her face into Anna's neck. She once again brought her hand up, but this time tried to rest it underneath her Mama's shirt and touch her skin directly. When this appeared to be too difficult from her current position, frustrated tears began to fall.

"Little girl" The Huntress purred. "Mama here."

The giantess was slightly unnerved as her baby was ordinarily easily placated. She seemed much further regressed and finicky than she had been in the past. Deciding to try something else, Anna stood with her frustrated bundle and headed upstairs to the bedroom.

The woman let out a short grunt as she knew Meg would begin to fuss at being placed on the bed.

"Mama! No!" came the quick cry of indignation.

Anna only hummed her lullaby in response as she shrugged off her suspenders and removed her top. She felt a level of uncertainty at the action; but only for Meg's sake. To her, clothing was simply a necessity for protection against the elements, and she held no real understanding or interest in the concepts of decency and nakedness as outlined by humans.

She slightly propped herself up against the wall after taking a seat on the bed. The giantess then once again brought her little girl to rest on her chest and watched as the girl practically melted.

Meg was greatly enjoying the feeling of her face, her hand, and part of her upper body resting on her Mama's bare skin. The warmth and safety she felt from the contact brought with it a feeling of a new level of closeness. Pushing her face further into the giantess' chest, the girl let out a content sigh. She had never imagined sharing such a distinctly intimate closeness with anyone; let alone while trapped in a seemingly never-ending nightmare.

Slowly, the girl felt her eyes grow increasingly heavy and resigned to sleep with the sound of her Mama's heartbeat and lullaby in her ears.


End file.
